The Coalition for Media Freedom strongly condemns the public attack by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, on Veran Matić, President of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and one of the most prominent media professionals in Serbia.
Veran Matić has been dedicated for decades to the fight for media freedom, the safety of journalists, and a culture of dialogue. That is why we consider President Vučić’s statement — in which he, among other things, labels Matić as someone who ‘hates Serbia’ and acts against the state — to be yet another direct and dangerous attempt at intimidation, not only of Matić personally, but of all those who dare to publicly oppose threats and attacks on journalists.
Such statements by the President of the Republic represent political pressure at the highest level on independent media actors and further worsen the already serious situation regarding the safety of journalists in Serbia.
The President of Serbia is using his position of power to discredit one of the most active members of the journalist protection mechanism — a mechanism that operates precisely with the support of state institutions.
The Coalition for Media Freedom reminds that Veran Matić has so far helped dozens of journalists receive institutional support and legal protection.
We call on all domestic and international organizations to condemn this targeting of one of the most important figures in the field of media freedom and journalist protection in the region.
We urge journalists, media outlets, and civil society organizations to show solidarity — which has never been more important than it is today.
Coalition for Media Freedom
Belgrade, July 22, 2025
The Coalition for Media Freedom: the Association of Media, the Association of Online Media (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Local Press”, the Slavko Curuvija Foundation and Branch Trade Union of Culture, Arts and Media ‘Nezavisnost’
